*Bonny Students Condemn Attacks, Demand Probe
*Youths Chase LG Officials, Demand Proper Use of Security Votes
*Groups Plan Protest to Gov’t House
There is palpable tension in Bonny Island as anger grows over the killing of a former Student Union Leader and one other by sea pirates in a creek community days ago.
Macdonald Banigo and Kingsley Allison were gruesomely murdered by daredevil criminals for reportedly identifying one of them as they attacked a passenger speedboat in which the deceased were traveling in.
The incident which occurred on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at about 8pm has continued to generate angst among residents of the island local government with youths of Orosikiri Community chasing away officials of the Bonny Local Government Council who went to commiserate with one of the bereaved families.
The delegation was led by the Vice Chairman of Bonny LGA, Anengi Barasua, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff to the LG Chairman, Uriel John-Jumbo, among others.
In a trending video which has gone viral with over a 100 comments, the youths accused the local government authorities of not properly utilizing the security votes being collected by the council, demanding that they go and discharge their constitutional duty of securing lives and properties of the citizens.
They further accused them of always donating N150,000 to bereaved families every time an attack happens, insisting that such donations cannot bring the dead back to life, advising the officials to go and do the right thing.
On its part, the National Union of Bonny Students (NUBS) said it was “saddened at the loss of one of its own”, describing the death of “Banigo Ibifubara Macdonald Junior., who served our dear union as a chapter President of Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, 2014/2015 as “a bitter pill to take as a union”, stating that “more effort has to be put into security”.
In a statement signed by its National President, Edward Abbey, titled “NATIONAL UNION OF BONNY STUDENTS LOSES ONE OF ITS OWN, CONDEMNS THE GROWING CULTURE OF SEA PIRACY IN BONNY WATERWAYS AND ITS CREEKS”, the union condemned the attack which led to the killing of the two youths.
It pointed out that “this is not the first attack and not also the fifth, not seventh, now another of our own has fallen victim,” demanding that “the federal, state and local governments, all relevant security agencies and the traditional institution investigate this disdainful incident and render justice to the family of our dear comrade and brother”.
“As a Union we frown at the incident and totally condemn the dastard act that took place on the 5th of January 2021 at Dema Abbey community, it is a creeping abnormality and it is alien to the norms of ancient grand Bonny Kingdom.”
In another development, some persons have started utilizing social media platforms to call for a peaceful protest to the Government House in Port Harcourt to demand that the Governor take urgent action on security on the Bonny waterways.
Different posts on different Facebook groups are demanding urgent action on the part of the youths to pressure the authorities to do more to safeguard lives on the Bonny waterways, with some calling for home grown solutions.
Meanwhile, Kristina Reports have received reports that communities around the scene of the attack have come under serious harassment as locals are allegedly being threatened by the hoodlums for being responsible for the distress calls that almost ruined their operation that fateful night.
A native of one of the communities, who preferred anonymity, told Kristina Reports on the phone that “these boys came here disguised and were asking for who made the call to the JTF. We told them we don’t know, but they insisted that if they find out who called the JTF they will deal with the person”.
“Our lives are no longer safe here because I hear they also went to the other villages asking the same thing. A fisherman here said he saw them driving towards the other side that leads to the Andoni River but didn’t even know they were the ones.
Divisional Police Officer of Bonny, CSP Usman Sadiq told Kristina Reports in his office in Bonny that the security agencies were on top of the situation and will do everything to restore normalcy in the affected areas.
He, however, cautioned against night sailing, noting that it was important for the citizens to abide by extant laws for their own safety, enjoining owners of commercial speedboats in the area to be responsible for the pilots of their boats as any crime traced to their boats or pilots would implicate them.
He further assured residents of Bonny LGA that the various security agencies would scale up action to apprehend those responsible for the attack and also rescue the Banigo 5 from their captors.
People should Keep constant watch in areas prone to piracy.
Avoid bottlenecks in shipping lanes.
Search the ship before leaving port.
More security agency should be employed